Martinez Resident Named National Merit Scholar

Martinez CA

14 May, 2021

7:03 PM

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MARTINEZ, CA — A student from Martinez was named a National Merit Scholarship Corporation award winner this week. The 2,500 Merit Scholars who each won a $2,500 scholarship were chosen from a pool of 16,000 finalists, according to the corporation. A team of college admissions officers and high school counselors chose the finalists. Winners were judged based on their academic record, SAT and PSAT scores, participation in school and community activities, recommendations, and essays. The Merit Scholars were announced Wednesday and included: Martinez resident Samuel Benabou, a senior at College Park High School in Pleasant Hill, whose probable career field is public health This announcement marked the second round of National Merit Scholarship awardees in 2021. Additional winners will be announced June 2 and July 12. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said it will award a total of $30 million to 7,500 "academic champions" by this fall. — Patch local editors Courtney Teague and Bea Karnes contributed to this report.